Variety

Search for:

Variety

October 2015

« How Women in Hollywood Are Finally Taking a Stand Against Sexism »
By Ramin Setoodeh (Film Editor, New York)

When Ashley Judd was making Paramount’s “Kiss the Girls” in the late ’90s, she was being pursued by a mogul from a rival studio, whom she believed wanted to cast her in a film. But suddenly she found herself falling into a dark trap.

This story first appeared in the October 06, 2015 issue of Variety.

“I was sexually harassed by one of the industry’s most famous, admired-slash-reviled bosses,” the actress says, revealing a story she’s never before publicly disclosed. The man, who Judd declined to name, invited her to dinner. When she arrived at his hotel, she was told to meet him upstairs in his room. “It was so disgusting,” she says. “He physically lured me by saying, ‘Help me pick out what I’m going to wear.’” The advances continued to escalate. “The ultimate thing when I was weaseling out of everything else was, ‘Will you watch me shower?’ ” Her voice cracks. “And by the way, I’ve never been offered a movie by that studio. Ever.”